Illuminated sign



May 11,1937.

R. NAUTH 4 ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Jan. 50, 1935 Iifinentor m Mo'A/a NAUTH attorney Patented May 11, 1937 2.0mm ILLUMINATED SIGN Raymond Nauth,

Buffalo, N. Y., assign'or, by

mes'ne assignments, to Flex'lunie Corporation, Bufialo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 30, 1935, Serial No. 4,103

8 Claims.

This invention relates" to illuminated signs, and it has particular reference to the provision of a sign character of more or less translucent matelight of the tube will be transmitted, reflected,

or refracted in the character in such manner as to produce a soft, but attractive color effect. Another object of the invention is to so associate such tubes and characters as to produce a multi-colored letter, such, for example, as one having a red color on one part, and a blue color in another, with the two colors merging smoothly into each other.

Preliminary to a description of suitable ways in which these and other objects and advantages of the invention may be obtained in practice, it may be noted that, heretofore, it has been proposed to make sign characters of translucent material, and to illuminate the same by ordinary electric lights from the rear or concealed side thereof, thus producing a luminous sign. It has also been proposed to make sign characters of luminous tubes, which are sometimes generically referred to as neon tubes, although neon tubes are really but one form of such sources of illumination. It has also been proposed to dispose such luminous tubes in a recessed letter, so that the light of the luminous tube could be reflected from the sign character, and, in daytime, the letter itself could serve as the sign.

While these various proposals have found some place in the arts, it has that none of them was long been recognized entirely satisfactory.

Essentially, one function of a sign is to attract attention, and a sign which gives adull uniform color is inherently ineffective in arresting the attention of the observer as much as is desired.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a sign in which beautiful and attractive color effects may be obtained, so that the display of the sign will be noticed by any observer, whose attention is primarily attracted by its color effect. One means of securing the desired results is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sign, showing a character including the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3' is an enlarged fragmentary view of the section shown in Fig. 2'. r a

The numeral l designates the front end or mounting member of a sign frame, which may be formed with top and bottom walls II and i2, and 5 ,a rear wall (not shown) similar to the face In, when a double faced sign is desired. The face" [0 receives a suitable number of sign characters such as the letter E shown in Fig. 1. As best shown in Fig. 3, the character is formed with a w marginal portion defined by a pair of outstanding ribs l3 and M, which are joined at their outermost extremities l5, but which are spaced at their base IS. The innermost ribs M are connected at their bases by a web I! and the entire sign character is made of a material which will transmit light but, as the same time, will subject the transmitted light to considerable diffusion. Such materials may be called, generally, translucent materials, although clear glass having different colors in different portions thereof may be used in some instances.

The mounting member. ID may be cut away to follow the outline of the character, but it is preferred to have the face Ill substantially continuous and to place the character thereon in abutting relationship, and to secure the parts as hereinafter more fully described. When using the sign as illustrated, it is also advantageous in procuring some of the desired color efiects to interpose a base plate 18, also formed of transluoent material, between the base of the character and the mounting panel [0.

It will be understood that the material of which the character is formed is capable of reflecting, refracting, and transmitting light, so that all parts thereof will appear colored when properly illuminated. If desired, the ribs I3 and [4 may be of different colors and hence have difierent spectral characteristics. Similarly, the web I! may have a different spectral characteristic from that of the ribs, and the base plate l8 may also have the same or a different color. Such variation in the color of the character itself permits the development of a multi-colored sign when using a monochromatic light. 0r, since the elements of the character transmit light, two difierent illuminating colors may be employed, thereby producing a multi-colored and illuminated sign.

The source of illumination consists of a luminous tube disposed within the confines of the letter in such fashion that the emitted light will be reflected from or diffused through the character itself. Thus, the invention provides a luminous tube 2! disposed between the innermost ribs [4 and above the web I! so that the light of the tube will be reflected in part and transmitted in part by the ribs M. It will at once be apparent that if the opposite surfaces of the rib l4 have different color characteristics, then the illuminated sign will stand out in two colors, together with various merging tints and shades thereof.

The tube 2 I, which follows substantially the entire length of the character, has its extremities turned inwardly to pass through apertures 22 formed in the web I! and through aligned apertures (not shown) formed in the mounting member I Q. As shown best in Fig. 2, these extremities constitute electrode receiving portions 23 disposed in cups 24 and connected to a source of energizing current through wires 25. As the details of the electrical system form no part of this invention, it is deemed unnecessary to describe or illustrate them further.

Disposed in the space between the ribs l3 and I4 and adjacent the base l6 thereof, is a second luminous tube 27, which, like the tube 2|, follows the outline of the character. This tube may have the same or a different color characteristic from the tube 2!, depending upon the effect sought. Thus, it may be assumed that the character is formed of a white glass composition and the tube 2| is a neon tube whose color characteristic is red. It may also be assumed that the tube 21 has a blue characteristic. In such a sign, the light from the red tube will be reflected in part from the surfaces l4 and transmitted in part to the space between the ribs l3 and I4. At the same time, the light from the tube 21 will be transmitted in part through the ribs I3 and I4, and hence it will be understood that while the outer edge of the sign has a predominantly blue color, the inner portions are predominantly red, and these two colors will merge into varying shades and hues, depending upon the composition of the respective exciting wave lengths at any other point.

It will also be understood that either the tube 27 or the tube 2| may be dispensed withflwhile still obtaining a beautiful soft light, whose characteristic will depend on the specific characteristics of the illuminating source and the material illuminated.

In order to prevent a glare by direct transmission to the eye from the tube 2|, it is advantageous to frost the surface of the tube 2 I, so that a diffused light is transmitted thereby.

The entire unit may be efiectively mounted by means of the mounting member best shown in Fig. 3. This member consists of a plate 3| formed with apertures to receive threaded bolts 32 which pass through the web IT, base plate l8, and mounting member I D. By providing a suitable number of such brackets, as indicated in Fig. 1, the character is held tightly against the frame and no additional means need be provided to secure the luminous tube 21, which is pinched between the base and the inner surfaces of the ribs l 3 and I 4. The bracket 3| is also provided with a cup 33 in which is disposed an insulating post 34 formed with a saddle 35 at its outermost end. The tube 2| rests in the saddle and it is secured thereto by means of a tie wire 36. It will thus be seen that all parts of the sign may be readily and securely assembled in the desiredrelationship.

While the invention has been described with respect to only certain embodiments'of its principles, it will be understood that a wide variety of combinations and-effects can be obtained without departure from the foregoing teachings. It is therefore desired that the invention should be construed in the light of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sign adapted for day and night display comprising a sign character formed with a sharply upstanding marginal portion and sharply upstanding border portion disposed within and following the contour of said marginal portion, said character having a base, said marginal portion and border portion constituting a pair of ribs projecting outwardly from said base and being formed of light transmitting and refracting material, said ribs being spaced at said base and being conjoined at their outer ends whereby said marginal portion and border portion merge into each other, and a luminous tube disposed between said ribs and adjacent the base, said tube being practically in contact with said ribs, whereby, during the daytime said sign character presents a visible sign and during night display and upon illumination of said tube said ribs receive and transmit over substantially the entire area thereof the light emitted by said tube.

2. In a luminous sign, a sign character formed of light-transmitting material having its marginal portion defined by a pair of conjoined outstanding ribs spaced at the base of the character, a luminous tube disposed in the base between said ribs, and a second luminous tube disposed between said ribs and within said marginal portion.

'3. In a luminous sign, a sign character formed of light-transmitting material, said character within said marginal portion, and luminous tubes disposed both between above said web.

4. A sign adapted for day'and night display comprising a sign character formed with an upstanding marginal portion and an upstanding border portion disposed within and following the contour of said marginal portion, said character having a base, said marginal portion and said border portion constituting a pair of ribs projecting outwardly from said base and being formed of light transmitting and refracting material, said ribs being spaced at said base, the border portion of said character being also spaced on opposite sides of said character, a web connecting the said spaced sides, and a luminous tube disposed above said web and between the said sides, said tube being of less diameter than the height of said upstanding ribs and being spaced from said web but lying substantially wholly between said web and the outermost extremities of said ribs, whereby said character is efiective for daytime display and a major portion of the illumination from said tube during night display is received on the adjacent surfaces of said border portion. 5. In a luminous sign, a sign character formed of light-transmitting material, said character having a marginal portion formed bya pair of spaced outstanding ribs and a web connecting the innermost of said ribs defining said marginal portion, a luminous tube disposedin the space between said ribs, and a second luminous tube disposed between the innermost ribs and above said web, the characteristic colors of said tubes being different. V I

6. In a luminous sign, a sign character having a marginal portion of translucent material defined by a pair of outstanding ribs spaced at the said conjoined ribs and base of said portion, the spectral characteristics of 7.6

said material being different in the said ribs, and a luminous tube disposed at the base of said character between said ribs, whereby light transmitted by said tube through said ribs will impart to the character a multi-colored effect.

7. In a luminous sign, a: sign character having a web base and an outstanding marginal portion contiguous with said base, said web base being formed of translucent material, a luminous tube disposed within said marginal portion and above said web, said tube having a translucent surface to diffuse the light passing therethrough.

8. In a luminous sign, a mounting member, a sign character disposed on said mounting member, said character being formed of translucent material and having a marginal portion defined by a pair of outstanding ribs spaced adjacent the mounting member, the innermost of said ribs being connected by a web, a base plate of translucent material interposed between the web and ends of the outermost ribs and said mounting member, a luminous tube disposed in the space between said ribs, a second luminous tube disposed between the innermost ribs and above said web, and securing means for said last named tube, said securing means passing through said web, base plate, and mounting member to hold all the parts in assembled relation.

RAYMOND NAUTH. 

